Repairs continue as B.C. rivers recede

Work crews continue to rebuild washed-out and flooded roads in southeastern B.C. as rivers and creeks recede below dangerous levels.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre downgraded its flood warning on the Elk River at Fernie to a flood watch over the weekend, as 80 families in the East Kootenay community of Hosmer were allowed to return home after and evacuation order along the river.

High streamflow advisories were ended for the Kicking Horse River and other rivers in the West and East Kootenay and Columbia regions.

The Trans-Canada Highway reopened to passenger vehicles only between Golden and Banff Monday, but remained closed east of Banff because of multiple washouts in Alberta.

Highway 93 was open to single-lane alternating traffic between Fort Steele and Wasa and also between Radium and Castle Junction as repairs to washouts continued.

Prince George area residents, meanwhile, were bracing for a replay of severe thunderstorms that wreaked havoc from the Kootenays across southern Alberta. Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Prince George, warning of possible hail, heavy rain and high winds.

On Mission Creek in the Kelowna area, a local state of emergency allowed the transportation ministry to demolish a vacant house near the rain-swollen creek to keep it from washing away and damaging a bridge on Highway 23.